The Sa mu tree is over 2,000 years old, and its roots would take 20 people to hug around.

(Dan Tri) - In the core area of Pu Mat National Park, Nghe An, there is a thousand-year-old Sa mu dau tree, over 70m high, with a trunk that would take about 20 people to hug around.

Cây Sa mu dầu hơn 2.000 năm tuổi, gốc 20 người ôm mới hết - 1

Pu Mat National Park covers an area of 94,804 hectares, located on the administrative boundaries of 3 districts: Anh Son, Con Cuong and Tuong Duong (Nghe An), the southern boundary along the Vietnam-Laos border. The national park is located in the tropical monsoon climate zone. The average annual rainfall here is 1,800mm and the average temperature is 23.5 degrees Celsius. Pu Mat National Park has high biodiversity with more than 2,500 plant species, nearly 1,000 animal species... Pu Mat is the highest mountain peak in the area (1,841m), the mountain name is used to name the national park (Photo: Bui Hao).

Cây Sa mu dầu hơn 2.000 năm tuổi, gốc 20 người ôm mới hết - 2

In the core zone of Pu Mat National Park, there is an ancient Sa mu dau tree that has lived for more than 2,000 years. This Sa mu dau tree was discovered by a group of biodiversity experts in 1998. To visit, survey and protect this "old" Sa mu dau tree, forest rangers of Pu Mat National Park, border guards, police, and local people had to march for a long time (Photo: Bui Hao).

Cây Sa mu dầu hơn 2.000 năm tuổi, gốc 20 người ôm mới hết - 3

The more than 2,000-year-old Sa Mu Dau tree lives in the core zone of Pu Mat National Park and is about 70m tall. The tree has a trunk circumference of 23.7m and a trunk diameter of 5.5m. This is considered the largest Sa Mu Dau tree in Vietnam today. In October 2010, the Sa Mu Dau tree was recognized as a Vietnam Heritage Tree by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (Photo: Bui Hao).

Cây Sa mu dầu hơn 2.000 năm tuổi, gốc 20 người ôm mới hết - 4

The Sa mu dau tree is still growing and developing normally, with a sparse canopy, narrow cone shape, straight trunk, and no buttresses. However, a part of the trunk near the base of the tree has rotted (Photo: Bui Hao).

Cây Sa mu dầu hơn 2.000 năm tuổi, gốc 20 người ôm mới hết - 5

The Sa mu dau tree is a rare genetic resource belonging to group 1A in the List of endangered and rare forest plants and animals and is listed in the Vietnam Red Book. This tree species is not only of scientific significance but also of very high economic value. The Sa mu dau tree is mainly distributed in the primeval forests along the Vietnam - Laos border, in mixed areas of broadleaf and coniferous trees, at an altitude of over 1,000m above sea level, where the slope is 12-40 degrees (Photo: Bui Hao).

Cây Sa mu dầu hơn 2.000 năm tuổi, gốc 20 người ôm mới hết - 6

Mr. Tran Xuan Cuong, Director of Pu Mat National Park, said that the "old" Sa mu dau tree and the population of Sa mu dau trees in the national park are being protected in the best way to serve the conservation and development of the precious gene source of this tree species (Photo: Bui Hao).

Cây Sa mu dầu hơn 2.000 năm tuổi, gốc 20 người ôm mới hết - 7

The discovery of this Sa mu dau tree once again proves that the primary forest of Pu Mat National Park has many mysteries about conservation value that need to be researched and strictly protected. Sa mu dau is a rare tree, at high risk of extinction because the mother tree generation is mostly old but no regenerated seedlings have been found (Photo: Bui Hao).